Applied DNA tech helps convict UK drug ring

A small business in Stony Brook was the lynchpin in bringing down a major drug ring in the United Kingdom.

Irrefutable evidence courtesy of Applied DNA Sciences’ SigNature DNA technology helped implicate 11 “professional criminals” with possessing more than $400,000 in cocaine, heroin, marijuana and other drugs. The criminals were sentenced to a total of 31 years in prison.

Investigation into the drug ring began during 2009 in the city of Gloucester, before spreading to London, Somerset and South Wales as more connections to drugs were found. Despite the long investigation, police had a difficult time bringing the criminals to trial due to their “above average skills in anti-surveillance, and developing a commercial dealing network which was both efficient and well concealed,” said Judge Horton, who tried the defendants.

Related stories

Applied DNA Sciences officials said a breakthrough occurred when the house of the cartel leader, Leslie Jenkins, was raided. Police found more than $15,000 in cash, which was tested for Applied DNA’s SigNature DNA and found to consist of notes stolen in an earlier cash-in-transit robbery that had taken place in Liverpool. Jenkins’ role was to launder the stolen money, and he subsequently pleaded guilty to money laundering in June 2011. He was sentenced to 11 years in prison. Most of the other 10 convicted cartel members also pleaded guilty.

The SigNature DNA technology applies botanical DNA markings to anything that can later be verified only by Applied DNA Sciences’ scanners. The markers, which use a different DNA code for each marked product, are undetectable by other machines or individuals.